Associate Data Scientist: Data Science & AI Hub

Closing Date: 05 December 2024

Interviews: From 07 January 2024

Grade: HEO

(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)

Salary: London: £38,661 - £42,019; National: £34,140 - £37,105 which may include an allowance up to £1827

Working pattern : Full-time, part-time, job share, flexible working

Contract Type: Permanent

• We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your local office. Office locations can be found ON THIS MAP The Role We’re recruiting for an Associate Data Scientist: Data Science & AI Hub here at the Ministry of Justice , to be part of our warm and collaborative Data Directorate .
  

This role aligns against Associate Data Scientist from the Government Digital and Data Framework

We are a multi-disciplinary team of around 80 staff that sits at the heart of the Ministry of Justice providing data science support across a diverse and exciting agenda. We work in a dynamic and fast-paced context and our skills are in heavy demand across the Ministry of Justice. We have a track record of delivering digital services to front line staff using wide ranging data science techniques, including the award-winning safety diagnostic tool, which helps our staff tackle violence in prisons and the public-facing Criminal justice system (CJS) delivery data dashboard . We regularly deliver insights that directly influence corporate, operational and policy decisions. Our projects span the data science spectrum including machine learning, natural language processing, large language models and optimisation.

You will work as part of multi-disciplinary teams to deliver data science products and analysis. Below are further details of the HEO data scientist roles currently available in the division:

Criminal Justice System Data Science: Cross-CJS data The cross-CJS data asset is an initiative led by the Criminal Justice System (CJS) Data Improvement programme and aims to bring together datasets from the Ministry of Justice, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Police for the first time. The postholder will be involved in the innovative exploratory analysis of the cross-CJS data and the subsequent development of new data science projects. Past and current projects include developing machine learning models to predict time taken for Crown Court cases to get through the system and, separately, classification models to predict victim attrition. We also recently developed a Streamlit-based MVP dashboard to disseminate analysis and metrics on victim attrition.

Criminal Justice System Data Science: Prison Capacity modelling

This team is responsible for producing a high-priority series of short-term prison demand models to inform capacity. The postholder will be responsible for investigating potential predictive data sources and using data science techniques to produce forecasting models. They will monitor and upgrade existing modelling to improve approaches and reduce uncertainty. The postholder will need to be comfortable working at a fast pace, using a variety of data sources and engaging with a range of stakeholders.

In both posts, you will be encouraged to develop your data science skills and experience through both formal and informal training. The majority of projects will be conducted using Python, R and SQL on our AWS cloud infrastructure (known as the Analytical Platform ) to work with data from across the justice system.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work with other data scientists on shared codebases, utilising data science techniques to deliver data science products and analysis across MoJ and the criminal justice system (e.g. within prisons, for the Probation Service).
• Learn and implement best practice approaches in project delivery, such as version control, code review and unit testing.
• Share key findings and effectively communicate complex analysis to non-technical stakeholders.
• Help the team keep up to date with the wider data science landscape and emerging technologies.
• Contribute to making the Data Science and AI Hub an inclusive and vibrant place to work.
  

If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply!

Benefits

• 37 hours per week and flexible working options including working from home, working part-time, job sharing, or working compressed hours.
• A £1k per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best in class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e-learning platforms
• Staff have 10% time to dedicate to develop & grow
• Generous civil service pension based on defined benefit scheme, with employer contributions of 28.97% from April 1st 2024 ( Contribution Rates )
• 25 days leave (plus bank holidays) and 1 privilege day usually taken around the Kings’ birthday. 5 additional days of leave once you have reached 5 years of service.
• Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!
• Wellbeing support including access to the Calm app.
• Bike loans up to £2500 and secure bike parking (subject to availability and location)
• Season ticket loans, childcare vouchers and eye-care vouchers.
• 5 days volunteering paid leave.
• Free membership to BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.
• Some offices may have a subsidised onsite Gym.
  

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience of applying analytical or data science techniques (e.g. machine learning, large language models, natural language processing, data visualisation and/or statistical modelling).
• Experience in writing clear, concise and accurate code in Python or R.
• Experience with data derivation/manipulation techniques and understanding of why it is important.
• Ability to communicate analytical findings in a way understandable to technical and non-technical audiences.
  

Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for BPSS clearance.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy .